Improvement in nipples for nursing-bottles



a H. D.LOCKWO-OD.

improvement in-Nipples for Nursing-Bottles.

NQ.127,357, Patente ma zgqavz,

11M, FH070UTHZ7GRAPHIU GU. IV. 1 (OSEURIVES PROCESS) UNITED STATES PATENT QFFICE.

IMPROVEMENT IN NIPPLE S FOR NURSING-BOTTLES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 127,357, dated May 28, 1872.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it. known that I, HAMILTON D. Loom WOOD, of Oharlestown, in the county of Middlesex and State of Massachusetts, have invented an Improved Rubber Nipple for Nursing-Bottles; and I do hereby declare that the following, taken in connection with the drawing which accompanies and forms part of this specification, is. a description of my invention suflficient to enable those skilled in the art to practice it.

Rubber nipples for nursing-bottles have heretofore been made of a conical form, with a thickened edge at the open end to stretch over the neck of the bottle, such form being shown at A in the accompanying drawing.

In using these nipples much difficulty is experienced on account of the tendency of the nipple to collapse by the drawing together of its opposite sides, or their pressure together by the lips of the babe, so that the nipple has constantly to be removed from the mouth of the babe to let the air in to expand the nipple and permit the milk to flow. There is also a rubber nipple like that shown at B which is used in connection with a coupler or flexible pipe and bottle; but such nipples and pipes are objectionable, in that they clog, and are very difficult to keep clean.

To make a rubber nipple for direct application to a bottle, which shall be free from the objectionable features of the common nipples, I form the nipple with a specially or peculiarly shaped mouth-piece or nipple proper, and with an expanding ring or bottle-applying end, the ring and the mouth-piece being connected by a constricted neck, which is only sufficiently large to permit free flow of the milk, but which is not closed by pressure upon the mQuthnece or by suction at the mouth-piece.

A rubber nipple having this construction, and embodying my improvement, is represented at C and D, the latter view showing the nipple stretched upon the bottle-neck. a denotes the mouth-piece, made nearly cylindrical in form, with a rounding end, I). c is the expanding-ring piece, which is stretched upon the mouth of the bottle, said ring being united to the mouth-piece a by the neck d,

which is made of constricted form, as shown both at O and D, neither this ring-piece nor the mouth-piece being aifected by stretching the piece 0 upon the bottle, the mouth-piece especially retaining its normal shape. When the lips of the babe grasp and press upon this mouthpiece the neck (Z is never collapsed, either by pressure or by suction, and it is not necessary to continually remove the nipple from the lips to cause the milk to flow. The nipple is also much stronger by reason of this construction, and has a more perfect adaptation to the lips of thechild.

I have spoken of the mouth-piece, neckpiece, and expanding ring of the nipple, but it will of course be understood that they are integral, being formed as one piece, the same as are the other kinds of rubber nipples.

The rubber nipple of the form herein described, consistiug of a somewhat lengthened cylinder, and a constricted neck connected by abrupt shoulders to said cylinder upon one side and to the expanding ring or end-piece upon the other, all as and 'for the purpose shown.

H. LOOKWOOD.

Witnesses:

FRANCIS GOULD, 'M. W. FROTHINGHAM. 

